Prose is a literary device referring to writing that is structured in a grammatical way, with words and phrases that build sentences and paragraphs. Works written in prose feature language that flow in natural patterns of everyday speech. Prose is the most common and popular form of writing in fiction and non-fiction works.

As a literary device, prose is a way for writers to communicate with readers in a straightforward, even conversational manner and tone. This creates a level of familiarity that allows the reader to connect with the writer’s expression, narrative and characters. An example of the effective familiarity of prose is JD Salinger’s The Catcher in The Rye:

What really knocks me out is a book that, when you are all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it.

Salinger’s prose is presented as a first-person narration as if Holden Caulfield’s character is speaking to and conversing directly. This style of prose establishes familiarity and intimacy between the narrator and the reader that maintains its connection throughout the novel.